A Study of Feline Behavior
by Flynne
Summary: Everyone knows Mikey is Klunk's favorite, but Klunk always makes sure to pay attention to his uncles. A short series of one-shots focusing on Klunk and Mikey's brothers.
1. Chapter 1

_Another story written a while ago - prompted and beta'd by SkitsMix._

* * *

 **A Study of Feline Behavior**

" _After scolding one's cat one looks into its face and is seized by the ugly suspicion that it understood every word. And has filed it for reference." - Charlotte Gray_

"Thirty-nine...forty...forty-one…" Mikey's quiet counting was just audible over the sounds of Leo and Don sparring. Raph carefully breathed in and out as he continued bench-pressing. Mikey stood behind him at his head, a vague green blur just within Raph's line of sight as he spotted his brother.

"Forty-five...forty-six…"

"Mew!"

Raph's startled intake of breath caught in his throat and he nearly dropped the barbell as Klunk leapt out of nowhere to land on his stomach. Mikey's hands flashed out and caught the weight bar before it thumped onto his brother's chest.

"Mikey…" Raph growled, arms shaking a little with effort as he shoved the bar up and away from his body. Mikey took the barbell and set it carefully on the ground, then reached out and scooped Klunk off of Raph before the irritated turtle could push him off.

"Klunky, we've talked about this!" he said, nuzzling noses with his cat. He looked down at his glowering brother. "Heh, sorry 'bout that, Raph."

"Yeah, whatever," Raph said, waving the apology away. "I was almost done with the set anyway. You wanna switch?"

Mikey set Klunk down, scritching his ears as the cat rubbed against his leg. "Nah, I'm good. I was gonna do some pull-ups."

"Okay. Call me whenever you need a spot." Raph moved over to the floor mats and got set to do push-ups. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Mikey jump to grab hold of the pull-up bar. Klunk trotted after him, hovering underneath to swat at Mikey's toes every time he lowered himself towards the floor. Raph smirked a bit in amusement, but soon turned his focus inward as he resumed his workout.

He soon settled into a rhythm - but it wasn't long before he felt the penetrating, curious stare of the cat resting on him again. He couldn't see Klunk, but he knew he was there all the same. He didn't pause in his movements, fixing his gaze stubbornly on the mat below him. It did not come as much of a surprise when, a few moments later, he felt the slight impact as Klunk jumped onto his carapace.

Raph allowed himself a slight, resigned sigh, but kept going. Klunk barely weighed ten pounds, and the added weight was hardly enough to bother him. Just as long as the little hairball sat still…

 _Fwoosh!_ A white-socked paw darted past his head as Klunk batted at the mask tails that hung forward over his shoulder, dangling toward the ground. Raph gritted his teeth, concentrating on keeping his body straight as he lowered himself toward the ground and pushed himself back up again.

 _Fwoosh! Fwoosh!_

"Okay, fuzzball, that's gonna stop." Raphael held himself off the ground with one arm while reaching up with the other, scooping up the cat and depositing him firmly but gently on the mat beside him. "Stay off my shell," he said, pointing a commanding finger at the whiskered nose. He could hear Mikey snickering somewhere behind him, but he didn't look around. Instead he gave Klunk one last careful nudge with the back of his hand to get him out of the way and went back to his push-ups.

Klunk didn't try to jump onto his shell again. Instead, the cat circled around to sit a few feet in front of him, watching him unblinkingly.

Raph ignored him.

Klunk did not like being ignored.

As Raphael straightened his arms again, Klunk flopped on the floor below him. He rolled onto his back, grabbing at the dangling mask tails with both front paws and biting at the red fabric.

Raph growled as Mikey burst out laughing. He dropped out of position to kneel on the ground, bending forward to pry his mask out of Klunk's mouth. Mikey's laughter had caught Leo and Don's attention, and he could hear Don laughing, too.

"Raph, we're supposed to be training. You can play with Klunk later." Leo's voice was stern, but he couldn't hide the undercurrent of amusement rippling underneath his words. Raphael finally tugged his mask free, turning to pin Leo with a glare that would bore a hole through concrete. Leo started to laugh, unable to keep a straight face any longer.

Raphael stood, adjusting his mask where Klunk had pulled it slightly askew. "I'm goin' for a run." He gave the cat one last narrow-eyed glare before heading out - lightly socking Mikey on the shoulder as he passed by to let him know he wasn't really upset.

He headed topside and bounded from rooftop to rooftop until the first gray light of dawn crept into the eastern sky, then slipped down into the sewers and jogged back home. By the time he entered the lair, he was dripping with sweat, and his legs were spattered with dirt from the knees down from running through puddles in the sewer tunnels.

Mikey and Leo were sitting on the floor in front of the couch, embroiled in an epic battle of Super Smash Brothers.

"Ha!" Mikey crowed. "Take that!" Leo growled in frustration as his fighter, Link, was zapped by lightning from Mikey's Pikachu.

Don sat in the corner of the couch, dividing his attention between his laptop and the screen. He glanced over his shoulder as Raph entered, giving his brother a smile. "Hey, welcome back!"

"You were gone a while," Leo said. "Good run?"

Raph shrugged. "No cats."

Mikey rolled his eyes, but before he could reply, Link's sword smacked into Pikachu and sent the bright yellow mouse flying. Mikey let out an indignant squawk and elbowed Leo in the side while he waited for his player to recover. "Not fair!"

"How is that not fair?" Leo demanded. "You've zapped me into outer space three times already!"

Raph huffed a laugh and headed off to grab a snack and a shower. When he returned to the main living area, his brothers were in the same spots where he had left them. He dropped onto the couch with a sigh, stretching out on his side to watch Link and Pikachu battle to the death. His eyelids grew heavier, and he didn't notice when his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep.

He woke up an indeterminate amount of time later. The TV was off and the lights had been dimmed, and someone had covered him with the blanket from the back of the couch. Briefly, he considered getting up and going to bed, but the effort didn't seem to be worth it. He pulled the blanket a little closer and settled in.

"Mew!"

Raphael blinked his eyes open as he felt Klunk hop up beside him. The cat nosed his way under the blanket, nestling in the warm spot against his chest. Raph sighed drowsily, a soft smile touching his mouth. He gently ruffled the soft ears and closed his eyes again, allowing the contented thrum of Klunk's purr to lull him to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter takes place shortly after the season 4 episode "Prodigal Son"._

* * *

" _Cats can work out mathematically the exact place to sit that will cause the most inconvenience."  
\- Pam Brown_

"Hey, guys? How's it coming?" Donatello asked, speaking quietly into his headset.

" _Almost done,"_ Leo's voice came in his ear.

Don darted a glance over his shoulder at the trees pressing close to the abandoned reservoir pumping station . The night shadows still huddled darkly beneath the thick branches, but the first birds were beginning to awaken and chirp sleepily back and forth. Dawn wasn't far off.

It had taken some planning, but Don had figured out the best spots to place security cameras and sensors. Mikey, Leo, and Raph had visited the burned-out shell of their old home and salvaged what they could. Don had chafed, staying behind, but his leg was still sore and if the Foot were still watching the lair, his ability to fight would be compromised. Most of Don's security equipment had been outside the lair, so it hadn't been destroyed in the attack. More importantly, Karai hadn't told her soldiers to loot the place. If she had, a lot of Don's tech would be in the hands of the enemy.

But her goal had been to invade and to kill, and at the time she thought she'd achieved it; so even though Don's lab area had been destroyed, they had been able to recover three shell-cells, heat and motion sensors, a few hidden cameras, and his laptop, which he had left in his room.

Michelangelo came bouncing down the outcroppings on the side of the building, landing noiselessly at Don's side. "Mission accomplished!" Raph and Leo dropped to the ground just behind him.

"Great! Thanks, guys. Just in time - it's not too long before sunrise. Now all I've got to do is make sure everything works."

Raph pulled the shuko spikes off his hands and stuffed them into his belt, rotating his shoulders one at a time to stretch out the stiffness from hours of scaling the weathered walls of the abandoned building. "If you wanna change anything, you're going to have to move 'em yourself," he warned, but his gruff tone was softened as he dropped a heavy arm around Don's shoulders as they headed back inside.

The four brothers went their separate ways once they entered the station. Don swung by the area that had been cordoned-off as the kitchen to start a pot of coffee - sending up a silent _thank you_ to April for the new coffeemaker as he did so - then settled in at his new workstation and started bringing the security system online.

Donatello was only dimly aware of the movements of his family as he worked. Fortunately, each sensor that he checked was functioning, but it would take some doing to get them calibrated correctly.

A sudden loud _crunch_ crackled in his ear and he jumped, reflexively backhanding the air behind him. His knuckles whacked against Mikey's plastron. He hissed and shook out his stinging fingers, giving his brother a half-hearted glare as Mikey chuckled and reached into the potato chip bag he was carrying for another handful.

"What'cha doing, Donny?" Mikey asked, tilting his head to the side.

"This pumping station is harder to secure than our old lair," Don explained, gesturing at the screen. "There's a lot more variables to take into account since most of the building is above ground. I have to make sure our sensors will pick up possible intruders but won't go crazy when a squirrel runs past."

Mikey nodded sagely, his jaw working as he swallowed his mouthful of chips. "Can't trust those squirrels, dude."

Don snickered, but his smile turned into a grimace as he brushed chip crumbs off the top of his head. "Hey, no food around the computers," he scolded good-naturedly. "It's bad enough that I have to deal with dust and cat hair. I don't need you bringing your own personal debris field over here, too."

Mikey just laughed, holding the bag out. "Chip?"

Don rolled his eyes, lightly elbowing his brother in the stomach as he turned back to his work. "Get out of here, you goof."

"You sure?" Mikey shook the bag enticingly. "My 'personal debris field' is just gonna restock your keyboard chow, bro."

Don paused in his work, nose wrinkling in confusion. "My keyboard...what?"

"Keyboard chow! You know, when you turn your keyboard upside down and shake it to get all the food out?" Mikey explained gleefully.

Don stared at him for a moment or two, scandalized, then leaned forward to thump his forehead on the desk. "Out," he said, pointing emphatically in the direction of Mikey's room. Mikey laughed, rubbed the top of Don's head - with his clean hand, Don noted thankfully - and wandered off.

Don sat up, pausing to give his keyboard a dubious look, then got back to work.

He waved vaguely in Raphael's direction when his brother called good night to him a couple hours later, but he didn't look away from his computer. Splinter turned in as well, leaving Leonardo reading on the couch.

Don didn't notice when Leo closed his book or turned out the light, and he was only pulled from his state of concentration when his brother came up beside him and ventured, "Donny?"

"Hm? Oh, hey, Leo." Don sighed and stretched, trying to work the kinks out of his neck and shoulders.

Leo stepped forward with a little smile and reached out to press his thumb against the back of Don's neck, right at the junction of his neck and his shell. He gave a firm little push, and Don sighed in relief as the tense cords of his muscles loosened. "Thanks."

Leo nodded, pulling out Don's extra chair to join him at the desk. "Sit up straight," he scolded affectionately. "You'd think with our shells, we wouldn't be able to slouch, but somehow you manage it."

Don chuckled. "I'll do my best."

"How's the leg?"

"Not bad, actually. I should be back to normal in another day or so," Don answered, rotating his ankle experimentally.

"Good."

Leo sat in for a while and watched him work. He didn't say anything, but Don could feel his brother's eyes on him all the same. It had been like that ever since he had returned; there was an unusual intensity in his gaze whenever he looked at his brothers and his father, as if he were trying to make up for the months of separation. Don suspected that part of it had to do with Leo's first few terrible hours back in New York, when he hadn't been sure if his family had survived the attack on the lair.

"It's almost noon. You planning on working all day?" Leo asked. He didn't say _again?_ but Don heard it all the same.

"No, I think I'll turn in after I finish the east wall."

"Is that what you're working on now?"

"If I say yes, will you quit hovering and go to bed?"

Leo huffed a laugh. "Point taken." He rose to his feet, pausing just long enough to pat Don's shoulder before he walked away. "Good night, Donny."

"'Night, Leo."

Leo drifted off into the darkness without a sound, leaving Don in the small pool of light from his monitors and desk lamp.

The minutes ticked by unnoticed as Donatello continued to work. Thankfully, all the equipment seemed to be in working order. It was slow going, though, and after a while he pushed back his chair, pausing briefly to rub his burning eyes. A glance at the clock told him it was pushing 2:00.

"I need more coffee," he muttered. He headed to the kitchen to make a fresh pot. The movement allowed him to shake off the grogginess that had begun to creep over him. By the time he returned to his workstation, he felt alert again and ready to finish the job...but someone was already there.

"Klunk…" The word drained out of his chest in a sigh, and he shook his head in exasperation. The orange cat had hopped up on his desk and planted himself squarely in the center. His rump rested on the keyboard and Don could see a steady line of gibberish scrolling across the screen.

"You're not helping," he said, scooping Klunk off the desk and depositing him on the floor. He pulled out the can of compressed air that he always had on hand and blew strands of orange fur out from between the keys.

Klunk wasn't discouraged by his ousting. He padded around the workstation for a minute or two before slipping under the desk to rub against Don's ankles. Don smiled a little, reaching down to stroke the sleek fur. "I know I kick you out of my area a lot, but I'm really glad Mikey was able to keep you safe," he confessed. Klunk butted his head against his hand and Don scratched under his chin for a moment longer before shaking the cat hair off his fingers and turning back to his task.

He gave the cat a sidelong glance a moment later when he hopped back up on the desk...but as long as Klunk stayed over at the edge, maybe just this once he could sit and watch...

"Wait, no, keep your nose out of my coffee," Don said, reaching for the mug as Klunk gave the dark beverage a sniff. He was too slow. Klunk pulled his head back with a snort, then sneezed into the mug, sending a fine spray of coffee droplets across the desk.

"Okay, _off_ ," Don said sternly. He gave the furry rump a gentle swat, nudging the cat back onto the floor. He stared at his violated coffee for a moment or two, debating whether he felt up to making a trip to the kitchen for a replacement mug, then heaved a mental sigh and decided it really wasn't worth it.

He worked in peace for a bit, but after a short while, he felt the light tapping of paws on his leg. He looked down to see Klunk standing with his front paws on the chair, staring expectantly up at him.

"What, is Mikey snoring tonight or something and keeping you awake? You don't want to sleep in his room?"

"Mew!"

"I've got a lot of work to do, here."

"Mew!"

"You sneezed in my coffee."

"Mrrow?"

Turtle and cat engaged in a brief staredown before Don let out a defeated sigh and patted his lap. "Okay, fine. Come on up. But no more climbing on the desk. You've left enough hair in my work space already." His mouth twisted in wry amusement. "And I bet I'm the only person in New York who routinely needs to clean fur out of a car engine. You'll need to christen the new Battle Shell when I build it, I guess." Klunk jumped eagerly onto his lap, circling and kneading a few times before curling in a fluffy orange ball, resting his chin on his paws. Don couldn't keep back a small grin, and he scritched the top of Klunk's head one more time before turning back to his computer.

The cat grew heavy with sleep, and Don had to struggle to keep from yawning as Klunk's drowsy warmth soaked into him. He didn't notice when his eyelids drifted shut.

Some time later, he became dimly aware that something soft was patting his cheek, but he was too tired to pay much notice. Then something warm and coarse and wet scraped across the end of his nose and he jolted awake with an undignified, "Fwuh!" Wide green-gold eyes were centimeters away from his own. Klunk had braced his front paws on Don's chest, lifting himself up so they could be eye-to-eye. The cat meowed at him before licking his face once more.

"Mmff. Stop it," Don said, swiping the back of his hand across his nose. He looked at the clock. Three in the afternoon. "I guess I should go to bed, huh?" Klunk just headbutted him, leaning into his hand when he scratched behind his ears.

"Okay. Bed. Promise not to tell Leo I was up so late?"

"Mew!"

Don shut down his computer and switched off the light, then rose and headed for his room. Klunk hopped down and trotted after him, then slipped past him and bounded into the room where Mikey slept. In the dim light, Don could just make out the cat's sleek form climbing up next to curl against Mikey's shoulder. The turtle murmured a little in his sleep, snuggling deeper into his blankets. Don smiled fondly and shuffled off to flop down on his cot.

Sleep claimed him quickly. He was still sleeping when Leo got up to train, and he didn't stir when Raphael started clanking the free-weights. He didn't wake until Mikey snuck into his room, carefully placed a handful of kibble on his plastron, and let Klunk in.


	3. Chapter 3

_Last little one-shot for this series! This takes place a short while after chapter 2._

* * *

" _Cats find malicious amusement in doing what they are not wanted to do, and that with an affectation of innocence that materially aggravates their deliberate offense."_

 _\- Helen Winslow_

Leonardo shrugged into the sheaths for his katana and finished tightening the pad around his left elbow, preparing for the trip outside. He then turned to make his bed before leaving his room. As he flipped the blanket forward, he caught sight of a damp gray lump that had been deposited at the foot of the bed and he recoiled with an exclamation of disgust.

"Klunk…" He hid his face in his hand for just a moment before gingerly lifting the dead mouse by the tail and striding to Michelangelo's room.

"Mikey!"

Both Mikey and Raph were inside; Mikey sat on the edge of his bed, fiddling with the chain to one of his nunchucks while Raph leaned against the wall just inside the door, arms folded loosely across his chest. Both turtles looked up when Leo entered, staring in surprise at the dead rodent dangling from his fingers. Their startled expressions soon changed into amusement; the gleam in Raph's eyes was decidedly wicked, while Mikey looked sheepish.

"Uh...what'cha got there, Leo?"

"This is the second time this week, Mikey!" Leo said, exasperated.

"Well...at least we know we won't have a mouse problem, right?"

"He left it _on my bed._ "

Raphael gave up trying to hold back his laughter. "Better watch your back, bro. He'll leave a horse head in there next."

"It's not a threat!" Mikey protested. "Klunk _likes_ you, Leo. He missed you while you were gone. For the first month after you left, he kept bringing dead rats to your room."

That brought Leo up short. "...He did?"

"Yeah." Mikey rubbed the back of his neck. "Got a little awkward when Sensei found them, but the sentiment behind it was sweet."

"Well, I don't want to seem unappreciative, but maybe Klunk could find other ways to show his affection," Leo said, tossing the dead mouse into Mikey's trash can.

"Hey, don't throw it in _there!"_ Mikey yelped. "Where were you raised? In a sewer?" He scooped up the trash can and hurried out the door to dispose of it properly.

Raphael jostled his shoulder against Leo's as the two of them followed at a more dignified pace. "You're lucky I don't think like Klunk, otherwise you'd be waking up to find some Purple Dragon whackbag out cold on your floor."

Leo sputtered a laugh and shoved Raph right back, feeling a rush of warmth despite his brother's flippant words. It was the closest Raph would ever come to admitting that he'd missed him.

Don was waiting at the door, tapping the end of his bo impatiently on the floor. "You guys ready now?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're coming." Raph made a face as Don shoved a musty duffel bag into his arms, even more battered than the one Don himself usually carried. "Geez, where did you find this thing?"

"You don't want to know. Here's yours, Leo."

Leo caught the bag and held it at arm's length, eyes narrowing as he saw the suspicious-looking stains on the gray canvas.

Mikey jogged up and caught his own bag as Don tossed it at him. "Ugh, it smells like something died in here," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"Must've been Klunk's," Leo said evenly. He sidestepped just slightly, dodging as Mikey took a swipe at him, then headed out the door with his brothers following just behind. "So, Donny, where are we headed?"

"The recycling center. Thursday's the day they usually get electronics in, and if I don't get there tonight, it'll all be gone."

The brothers paused at the exit to their home, watching and listening for any wayward hikers, then slipped silently into the trees. The recycling center wasn't far from Central Park, and the trip was made faster as they vaulted across the rooftops. Don took over the lead once they got moving, and he guided them to the entrance he usually used when raiding the facility.

It only took him a moment to pick the lock, and the four turtles slipped inside the large, darkened building. They stayed close to each other as they moved through the aisles; Leo, Raph, and Mikey weren't completely sure what Don was looking for, so they would hold up various items to see if he approved. Before long, their duffels were weighed down with salvaged computer parts.

"Okay," Don said in a low voice. "We're almost done. I think if I can find a couple more motherboards, I'll be - "

The rattle of the doorknob echoed through the silent building. The brothers exchanged a tense glance and melted back into the shadows. A wedge of light slanted in as the door swung open. Leo slipped forward a few paces to see who the new person was...and grimaced as he saw several burly, leather-jacketed figures duck inside. The door swung shut, plunging the building into darkness once more.

Leo hurried to rejoin his brothers. "Purple Dragons," he hissed.

"Aw, man! Just our luck they'd pick the same place to raid at the same time," Mikey said. "Good one, Don."

"Hey, it's not like I call them up and compare day-planners," Don said, elbowing him in the side.

"Let's try to avoid getting caught up in a fight," Leo said softly. "They'll see us when we get to the door, but we should be able to make it there without them noticing us." They began moving towards the opposite wall in order to circle around the Dragons and slip out the door - but before they'd made it halfway there, a flashlight clicked on and a bright cone of yellow light sliced across the room at just the right time to catch the turtles in the center of the beam.

"Hey!" the Purple Dragon bellowed. He reached into his belt and pulled out a heavy length of chain, and Leo could see that his companions were armed with knives and clubs.

"So much for that idea!" Raph said, drawing his sai.

Leo drew his swords, feeling the displacement of air as Don pulled his bo from its sheath and hearing the _snap-whrrr_ of Mikey's nunchaku. He sprang forward, meeting the first Dragon halfway and turning aside a slash from a knife. The drag of the half-loaded duffel was a mild distraction but he quickly compensated for the extra weight.

The turtles were outnumbered, but they still managed to fight their way to the door relatively quickly. A strike of Don's bo sent his assailant tumbling against a nearby stack of shelves, which collapsed with a metallic crash and set off a domino effect as three more shelving units began to topple.

"You sure know how to make an exit, Donny!" Mikey said, striking out to send two more Dragons flying.

Raph disarmed the thug blocking the doorway with a twist of his sai and yanked the door open. "Let's move!" Don flipped over a charging attacker and landed beside Raph, but Leo and Mikey were still a few rows back

"Go!" Leo ordered, seeing Raph begin to turn back to help. "We'll follow you!." Raph scowled, but he and Don darted out of the building. Leo dropped another Purple Dragon with a kick. "Time to go, Mikey!"

"Right behind you, bro!"

Leo spun and slashed, forcing the enclosing gang members back. A gap opened and he jumped forward, Mikey just behind. Just as Leo passed through the doorway, he was jerked to a sudden halt. One of the Dragons had lunged forward and caught hold of the duffel bag. He stumbled, spinning in a half circle and raising his katana either to defend himself or cut himself loose...

The sudden loud roar of an engine drowned out the sound of Raphael shouting his name. The Dragons had left a truck waiting outside and it was racing straight for him. The glare of headlights whited out his vision. He struck out blindly, felt the release when he cut through the strap of his bag, and gathered his legs beneath him in an attempt to spring to safety, but there wasn't enough time, the truck was too close -

Michelangelo hurtled through the doorway and crashed into him. Leo went flying, tumbling to the ground. The world spun past him in a blur of light and sound; another shout from Raph, the squeal of tires on pavement, and a terrible solid _thud_.

"Mikey!" Leo scrambled to his feet and raced over to where Mikey had fallen, barely registering the blur of movement as Don and Raph dropped down from the roof of the building to fight off the Dragons that had begun closing in. Mikey lay motionless on his left side, and Leo forced down the feeling of panic rising within his chest as he fell to his knees beside his brother. He ran steady, practiced hands over Mikey's head and neck - everything seemed okay, he noted with relief - and he leaned forward to see his brother's face. "Mikey, you with me?"

Mikey's eyes were open, but the look in them was far away as he struggled to stay conscious. He blinked when he heard his name and sucked in a sudden breath, but almost immediately curled in on himself with a choked-off hiss of pain.

"Mike, what's wrong?" Leo asked sharply.

"D'you get the number of the truck that hit me?" Mikey said in a strained voice.

"No, but if we don't get out of here now, we'll get a second chance." Leo darted an anxious glance over his shoulder. Raph and Don were holding their own, but the truck had made a U-turn at the end of the lot and was speeding back toward them. "Can you move?"

"Yeah," Mikey said breathlessly. He curled his right arm around Leo's neck and held on as his brother hauled him to his feet. Deep scratches were gouged in the left side of his plastron where the truck had hit him, and he kept his left arm curled against his side.

"Raph! Donny!" Leo called. The two turtles immediately fell back, lagging behind just enough to cover Leo and Mikey as they retreated.

Leo moved as fast as he dared, half-carrying Mikey as they ran. He ducked down the first alley he came to, pausing just long enough to lean Mikey up against the wall as he wrenched the nearest manhole cover off. He slid down the ladder with Mikey close behind. Don came jumping through the manhole less than a minute later, and Raph brought up the rear, sliding the manhole cover back into place with a solid _clang_.

Mikey leaned gratefully against Leo's side as they started moving once again. Don stepped up close beside him, scanning his face anxiously in the stray beams coming through the sewer grates from from the streetlights above. "How badly are you hurt?" he asked worriedly.

"I could be worse," Mikey said, trying to sound cheerful. "It could've been a bus."

"Not exactly making me feel better," Don frowned.

"My arm hurts and it feels like I've got some busted ribs, but I've been there, done that before."

Don's worried look deepened. "Your ribs? Are you having any trouble breathing?"

"Nah, nothing like that. I'll be okay, Donny," Mikey said, more serious this time. Don still looked unhappy, but just gave a resigned sigh and kept walking.

The trip through the sewers was slower and less direct than their outbound trip, but they still made good time. Raph had even managed to snag the duffel that Leo had been forced to drop, but none of the brothers were particularly concerned with the salvaged computer parts now.

They scattered once they entered their home; Don went to dump the bags on the floor of his room while Raph went to tell Splinter what had happened. Mikey was walking pretty much under his own power at that point, but Leo still stuck close as they made their way to the couch. Mikey sat back against the cushions with a sigh, sitting still while Leo inspected his shell for cracks and used the pads of his fingers to carefully press against his left side between plastron and carapace.

"Well, I think you were right," Leo said ruefully. "Looks like three, maybe four ribs. You said your left arm hurt?"

"Yeah." Mikey gingerly lifted the limb, suppressing a wince as Leo carefully ran his hands over the bruised forearm.

"I think you cracked your ulna too, buddy. But the good news is that it doesn't look like any of the fractures are displaced. They should heal without any problems as long as you take it easy." Leo sighed and gently eased the arm back down, meeting Mikey's eyes. "Thanks for watching my back."

Don came up to stand next to Leo, carrying their well-used first aid kid. "What's the verdict?" he asked.

"Ribs and arm, like he said," Leo answered.

"Hm." Don performed his own brief examination, nodding to himself and pulling a splint out of his box of supplies.

"Way to go, Mikey," Raph groused, standing behind the couch. He folded his arms across his chest.

Mikey leaned his head against the back of the couch to look up at Raph. "Well, if the truck _had_ to hit something, I figured that between Leo's head and my shell, my shell was harder."

Raph snickered. "Some would beg to differ."

Leo rolled his eyes, but smiled and rubbed the top of Mikey's head.

* * *

Leo woke earlier than usual the next day, pausing briefly in the door of Mikey's room on his way to the kitchen. Mikey was still sound asleep, but his mouth looked tight, and little lines of pain creased the skin around his eyes. Leo winced in sympathy - he knew all too well how painful broken bones could be, not to mention the muscle soreness from a heavy impact, and he could guess his brother would be pretty uncomfortable when he woke up.

He continued on his way to the kitchen, listening carefully to catch the first sound of his brother waking as he filled the teapot and opened his preferred tea canister. He glanced down as he felt the sleek, soft brush of fur against his ankles, smiling at Klunk as the cat rubbed against his legs. "Hey, Klunk," he said softly. Klunk meowed up at him, watching him intently as he moved around the kitchen.

Usually Leo liked Klunk's company, but when he stepped over him for the fourth time, he gave the cat a sideways glance. Mikey's cat had stuck to him like a tiny orange shadow, and every so often would bat at his knee-pad with a white paw. Klunk liked to stick his nose in everybody's business, but he usually wasn't underfoot like this.

Klunk bounded after Leo when he went to get a bowl and a box of cereal from the large bookcase they were using as a pantry and dish cabinet. Leo sighed and lifted the cat off the counter just in time to keep him from sticking his whiskered nose into Leo's breakfast. "Come on, you know you're not supposed to be up there."

The water in the teapot was boiling by now and he began steeping the tea, watching the end of the counter to make sure Klunk didn't try to hop up again. "Hey now - !" Leo jumped in surprise as he felt Klunk leap up, brace his hind feet on his belt, and claw his way up Leo's carapace to swat him firmly on the side of the head. Klunk's claws were sheathed, but it was a surprisingly strong blow all the same. "What's gotten into you?" he asked, grabbing hold of the cat with both hands and putting him back on the floor.

Klunk just stared up at him, licking his chops.

"Oh!" Leo glanced over at Klunk's bowls with dawning comprehension. Both food and water bowl were empty, and probably hadn't been filled in the past twenty-four hours. He crouched down and scratched behind Klunk's ears. "Aw, I'm sorry, boy. Everyone forgot about you, huh?"

Klunk meowed enthusiastically as Leo got out the can opener, weaving back and forth between his feet while his food and water dishes were filled. Leo chuckled as the cat pounced and faceplanted in the food, making happy _nom-nom-nom_ noises. "Don't worry, I won't forget to feed you again," he promised. He smirked. "And I'll make sure Raph checks your litter box."

By the time Leo had finished eating, Splinter had awakened. His father smiled and nodded in thanks as Leo handed him a cup of tea. "I stopped to check on Michelangelo," Splinter told him. "He is awake."

"Does he want anything to eat?"

"I offered. He declined."

Leo frowned a little and headed back to Mikey's room. His brother was famous for being a bottomless pit, and a Mikey that didn't want food was a Mikey that worried him.

"Hey, Mikey. How do you feel?" he asked, poking his head through the door.

"Like I got hit by a truck," Mikey answered dryly.

"I guess that was a dumb question." Leo crossed the room and helped his brother sit up against his headboard. "You hungry?"

"Nah, Sensei already asked. I had him get me some advil instead. Maybe after it kicks in I'll feel like food."

"I hope you'll feel like a turtle," Leo said with a sideways smile.

Mikey rolled his eyes at the old joke. "Dude, you are such a dork."

Leo chuckled. "You need anything?"

"Nah," Mikey said again. "I might go back to sleep, actually."

Leo sat down on the large bean bag next to Mikey's bed, settling in for his morning meditation session when Mikey turned off the light. It was still too early for Raph and Don to be up, and the lair was silent. Leo soon slipped into a meditative state. He stayed at a shallow plane, wanting to hear Michelangelo right away if he spoke. He also heard Klunk's soft "Mew!" as the cat trotted into the room. He expected Klunk to hop onto Mikey's bed right away, so it came as a bit of a surprise when the cat rubbed up against him.

Klunk walked around him a few times, purring and nudging him, then gave a light spring up to his shoulders and draped around the back of his neck.

"Told ya," Mikey mumbled drowsily. "Ninja kitty likes you."

Leo didn't open his eyes, but he sighed and smiled. "It's a step up from dead mice."

Mikey didn't answer. He'd dropped off to sleep. Klunk snuggled closer, his purr thrumming against Leo's neck. Klunk's warm weight around his shoulders and Mikey's quietly sparking aura drew Leo further down. Deep meditation was close to sleep in a way, and Leo could feel himself teetering on the edge. He'd developed more than enough control over the years to keep himself from slipping into dreams, but today he decided that perhaps meditation could wait.

Leo leaned back against the beanbag, shifting Klunk over so he wouldn't lay on him. He closed his eyes and dropped off to sleep almost at once. He didn't even notice when the cat jumped over him and trotted off to go hunting…

...or when Klunk returned a short while later, lovingly depositing a dead mouse on his chest.


End file.
